When processing sheet material, whether manufacturing the sheet itself or during secondary processing such as continuous roll forming, the roll is typically mounted through its center hole on a horizontal spindle or mandrel so that the material may be either rolled or unrolled depending on the application. However, when shipping, storing, and moving the rolls around a warehouse, the roll is most often positioned on its flat side with its center hole vertical. Some advantages of each configuration are fairly obvious: horizontal positioning permits rolling or unrolling the linear stock while the roll turns on a stationary horizontal axis with the weight of the roll supported on the inner spindle and the edges untouched (and undamaged)—vertical positioning places the roll in a stable position so that it can be placed on a pallet and moved using various conventional material handling equipment like forklifts and pallet jacks. The problem arises as to how to transition the roll between vertical and horizontal positions in a manner that protects both the roll and the workers moving the roll.
The job of mounting a palleted roll onto a spindle, for example, a feeder spindle for a roll forming process, is often left to warehouse workers or machine operators who must muscle the roll into position with fork lifts and makeshift slings. Moving these heavy rolls with manpower and improvised tools involves a good deal of manual handling during which the outer layers and edges of the roll can be damaged, deformed, and scratched. In addition, manhandling a 5000 lb roll of sheet steel to thread a sling through the center hole and between the pallet and the roll itself can result in various injuries, from cuts and scratches to broken limbs. Damaged material (i.e., scratched, dented, bent, etc.) must be cut from the roll and discarded prior to further processing, resulting in unnecessary scrap losses.
Conventional roll tilters (sometimes called up-enders) ate helpful in changing the position of rolls from their usual shipping position (with vertical central axis) to a horizontal position suitable for mounting the roll on an unrolling fixture, or, on the other hand, removing a roll mounted on a spindle and transferring it to a pallet for shipping or storage. Roll tilters can be massive, highly automated machines. Such tilters may be found in factories and specialized shops that work with rolled material on a regular basis. Some basic, stripped-down roll tilters have been produced for handling smaller rolls on a more occasional basis. However, in addition to the basic tilters being less robust and prime to malfunction, the rolls manipulated by currently available basic roll tilters are still vulnerable to damage while on the roll tilter.
Once in the horizontal position, the rolls must be freed from their shipping pallets. The weight of the roll makes this process challenging. Often freeing the pallet causes edge and surface damage to the roll and/or destroys the pallet. Mounting the roll on an unrolling fixture may require additional movement to clear the centerhole (e.g., remove the pallet) to accept a spindle from which the material can be continuously unrolled for forming. There exists a need for a compact yet full-featured roll tilter that can operate reliably and safely with minimal setup.
The unique roll tilter assembly described in this disclosure and accompanying figures includes several novel features that solve many problems encountered when handling rolled material.